Editorial: No reason to delay consolidation of New Orleans' agencies

Lawmakers made a mistake last year when they postponed until 2014 the consolidation of Orleans Parish's criminal and civil courts and the criminal and civil sheriff departments -- despite no credible reason to do so.

So New Orleanians surely welcome the Legislature's expected approval of a measure restoring the original 2010 consolidation date for the sheriffs' offices.

Unfortunately, lawmakers have failed to do the same for the courts, and that's something they still must correct.

City residents made it clear after Hurricane Katrina that they wanted to streamline government, voting overwhelmingly to consolidate the seven tax assessors into one. That move will take place next year.

Responding to public sentiment, then-Gov. Kathleen Blanco also pushed the Legislature to consolidate metro area levee districts and numerous public entities in Orleans Parish. Under that schedule, the city's courts and the sheriffs were to join in 2010.

But at the lobbying of the judges and state Sen. Ed Murray, lawmakers last year postponed the courts and sheriffs consolidation for four years. That was a naked concession to elected officials who want to avoid the reality that post-Katrina New Orleans does not need two separate courts and 27 judges. Gov. Bobby Jindal did not veto that postponement as he should have.

Now House Bill 148 by Rep. Charmaine Marchand Stiaes, of New Orleans, restores the original schedule for Civil Sheriff Paul Valteau, who may not seek re-election next year, and Criminal Sheriff Marlin Gusman. Rep. Stiaes said the merger of the two sheriff offices should never had been included in last year's measure postponing the court merger.

"We're trying to do some good government for a change, " Rep. Stiaes said of her bill.

But legislators should ask themselves, Why do only "some" good government? Why not go all the way by also restoring the original merger date for the courts?

The judges last year argued they needed more time to address "unexpected" problems in joining the two courts. Those arguments were bogus then and remain so still. The cited problems included logistical issues in joining the court's computer systems, and the fact that some employees are in the state's health insurance system and others in the city's. Those are not insurmountable. And considering the original schedule gave the judges 31 months to consolidate, it's ridiculous to think they needed an extra four years.

In the meantime, New Orleanians continue to shell out the expense of running two separate courts and maintaining an excessive number of elected judges.

The Legislature should heed the consolidation mandate New Orleanians voiced after Katrina, and undo the 2014 deadline for the courts -- just like lawmakers are doing for the sheriffs.